Costa, who joined Chelsea from Atletico Madrid for £32 million this summer, himself had a chance to make the breakthrough just two minutes later, but the Spain international striker could not turn home Eden Hazard’s pass.

Chelsea continued to press on as Schurrle headed Hazard’s cross wide just before the half-hour mark, before Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez forced goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois into making his first save of the match.

Oscar and Schurrle had chances to put Jose Mourinho’s side in the lead before the half-time interval, but they failed to take them.

Brazil international midfielder Oscar was unlucky not to score in the opening minutes of the second half when his long-range effort came back off the post, and seconds later Branislav Ivanovic’s header was kept out by Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

However, the visitors also started to ask questions soon after with Paul Konchesky and David Nugent testing Courtois.

It was hosts Chelsea, though, who broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute, thanks to Costa’s right-footed finish from close range.

Cesc Fabregas had come close on two occasions before the goal and it was he who created the second, teeing up Hazard to slam home from the left side of the Leicester box.

Statistics

Chelsea

Leicester City

Possession

63.3%

36.7%

Shots on target

Total shots

Team Lineups

Chelsea

Thibaut Courtois

John Terry

Gary Cahill

Branislav Ivanovic

César Azpilicueta

Oscar

Nemanja Matic

André Schürrle

Cesc Fàbregas

Eden Hazard

Diego Costa

Substitutes

Kurt Zouma

Petr Cech

Didier Drogba

Filipe Luis

John Obi Mikel

Willian

Ramires

Leicester City

Kasper Schmeichel

Ritchie de Laet

Liam Moore

Paul Konchesky

Wes Morgan

Andy King

Dean Hammond

Jeffrey Schlupp

Riyad Mahrez

Leonardo Ulloa

David Nugent

Substitutes

Chris Wood

Anthony Knockaert

Marc Albrighton

Gary Taylor-Fletcher

Tom Hopper

Ben Hamer

Marcin Wasilewski

Subhankar Mondal

A football journalist based in Wakefield, Subhankar Mondal has previously worked for Goal.com International and Skysports.com, and has had his sports articles published in The Guardian and The Observer. He has also been on the BBC in the past and his name once found its way to the pages of the World Soccer magazine. He was recently cited in a major Louis van Gaal biography.